PRINTER'S NO. 598
No. 572 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY TILGHMAN, COSTA, WAGNER AND KITCHEN, MARCH 6, 2001
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, MARCH 6, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for
3 exemptions from jury duty and for list of qualified jurors.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Sections 4503 and 4523 of Title 42 of the
7 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
8 § 4503. Exemptions from jury duty.
9 (a) General rule.--No person shall be exempt or excused from
10 jury duty except the following:
11 (1) Persons in active service of the armed forces of the
12 United States or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
13 (2) Persons who have served within three years next
14 preceding on any jury except a person who served as a juror
15 for fewer than three days in any one year in which case the
16 exemption period shall be one year.
17 (3) Persons demonstrating to the court undue hardship or
18 extreme inconvenience may be excused permanently or for such
1 period as the court determines is necessary, and if excused
2 for a limited period shall, at the end of the period, be
3 assigned to the next jury array.
4 (4) Spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents
5 and grandchildren of victims of criminal homicide under 18
6 Pa.C.S. § 2501 (relating to criminal homicide).
7 (b) Challenges.--This subchapter shall not affect the
8 existing practice with respect to peremptory challenges and
9 challenges for cause.
10 § 4523. List of disqualified jurors.
11 (a) Maintenance of list.--The jury selection commission
12 shall create and maintain a list of names of all prospective
13 jurors who have been disqualified and the reasons for their
14 disqualification. The list shall be open for public inspection.
15 (b) Relatives of criminal homicide victims.--Any persons who
16 are exempt or excused from jury duty under section 4503(a)(4)
17 (relating to exemptions from jury duty) may petition the jury
18 selection commission to have their names placed on the list of
19 disqualified jurors. Any persons so placed on the list may, at
20 any time, petition for removal of their names from the list,
21 unless they are otherwise disqualified under section 4502
22 (relating to qualifications of jurors).
23 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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